Generator



H. FORD GENERATOR Dec.` 9, 1930.A

` Filed Nov. 26. 1928 KT@ rl Patented Dec. 9, 1939 .UNI-TED sixa'ras (PATENT OFFICE HENRY FORD, OF DEABBOBN, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR TO FORD 'KOTOR COMPANY, OF

, DEABBOBN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWABE-` GENERATOR `Application illed November 36', i928. Serial lo. 331,795.v

The object of my invention is to provide a generator of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction. f

A -further object of my invention is to provide a generator with -a barrel shaped grease reservoir therein, an armature drive shaft rotatably mounted in said reservoir andeXtended therethrough, grease retainers forming the ends of said reservoir, a drive pulley mounted on one end of the armature drive ,shaft and a bell shaped armature mounted on the other end of the drive shaft.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a generator which insures that the armature shaft bearings will always be aligned with each other. Heretofore generators, especially those used with automobile engines, have been constructed with a bearing on each end of the armature shaft. lIn this type of generator a number of joints or flanges in the housing, connecting the two bearings, must be accurately aligned to insure an accuratey alignment of the armature bearings and this alignment is diicnlt to- 25.secure and retain.

Still a further objectlof my invention is to provide a generator, in which the armature shaft bearings' are relatively permanently inclosed in agrease reservoir, and which maintains the field pole pieces and the armature concentric, thereby allowing the practical use of a much smaller air gap therebetween to materially increase the e ectrical eiiiciency of the generator.

.35 Still a further object of my invention is to provide a generator, in which the armature is.

of a relatively large diameter and very short to thereby require only a static balance; the

static balance to .secure commercial dynamic balance therein.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a generator in which the commutator -1s 'of a simplified design, eliminating many of the vparts and machine operations formerly necessary in making a commutator.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a enerator, in which it/isfimpossiblel for lubrlcant to be thrown on the commutator thereby ruining the carbon brushes used therewith. One 'of the frequent causes of generator failure-is that the commutator brushes become oil soaked and soonwear or crumble to small pieces. It has heretofore been practicallyimpossible, when a bearing is placedy at the outer end of the commutator, to keep the bearing lubricant `from being thrown out by the .revolving 'armature onto the brushes.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a brush ring of insulating material, so that insulating of screws, rivets, sockets. and the 'like therefrom, is unnecessary.

Still a further object of my invention is toprovide a generator, having a. dust roof cover inclosing the commutator an the brushes, the cover being readily removable for inspection or adjustment of the generator.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts of my improved device, as described in the specication, claimed in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fi of the device the cover being removed to better illustrate the construction.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. j

Referrin to the accompanying drawings, I have use dicate generally a bracket formed on the gure 1 shows an elevation of the rear end the reference numeral 10 to incrankcase of'an automobile engine. A sleeve 11, having an annular radial flange 12 near its outer end, forms the front cover plate and bearingy housin for my generator. The lower edge of t e flange v12 `terminates in a forked bracket 13', which issecured onto the bracket 10 by a bolt 14. A front armature i shaft bearing 15 is mounted adjacent to the front end of sleeve 11, and asimilar rear armature shaft bearing 16 is mounted in the sleeve 11 adjacent to its rear end.

An exterior thread 17 is cut on the exterior of the front end of the sleeve 11vin front of and adjacent to 'flange 12. A gland nut 18 co-acts with threads 17 to secure. thereto the outer or stationary part of a grease retainer 19 of the oil throwing type.

A generator drive shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in the ball bearings and 16. A pair of shoulders 21 are provided on shaft 20 to space the bearings l5 and 16 a predetermined distance apart, and also to carry any end thrust which may be applied to the armature shaft, to the bearings 15 and 16. The

inner or rotating part of the greaseretainer 19 is mounted near the front end of shaft 20 adjacent to bearing 15. A rear grease retainer 22, similar to and mounted the same as the retainer 19, is secured near the rear end of theshaft 2() and the sleeve 11.

' rlhe front and rear ends of the shaft 20 are tapered as at 23 and 24, respectively, and project outwardly through the grease retainersv 19 and 22. Each end of the shaft 20 has a threaded hole therein which receives a cap screw 25.

From the foregoing, it may be seen that I have provided an armature shaft rotatably mounted in a sleeve, and have provided grease retainers for closing the ends of said sleeve. A large quantity of lubricant may be stored in the barrel shaped reservoir so formed for the continuous lubrication of the shaft bearings therein.

A drive pulley 26 is secured to the tapered front end of the shaft 20 by the cap screw 25 and is driven by a belt 27 which, of course, would be driven by a suitable pulley (not shown) on the engine. The pulley 26 consists of a hub member 28, having a radial annular flange 29 extending therefrom, and having a tapered hole axially disposed therein to coact with theitapered end 23 of the shaft 20.

Two identical cone shaped pulley Sides are secured to the rim of flange 29 by spinning a shoulder from said rim, to secure an annular U shaped clamp around the adjacent in- 'ner edges of the cone shaped members 30.

As may be seen, a pulley of very light and sturdy construction for use with a V type belt has been described but, although this is a highly desirable construction to use, any

` other type of drive may be used.

An armature hub 31 is secured to the rear tapered end 24 of the shaft 20 in -the samev armature sleeve is thus formed. Suitable slotsare formed in the exterior edgeseof the laminations 33 to receive conventional armature coils 36.

A peripheral t pe of commutator is ri idly mounted upon tll This commutator is built up of a plurality of segments, clamped together to form a composite annulus. The. segments or conductor bars 37 are insulated from one another and from their mounting by sheets of mica 68. They are clamped between the radial ilange of the mounting ring 38 and a clamping ring 39. Each segment or bar 37 may be provided with a conductor 40 for connecting it to the armature winding 36. A rigid commutator assembly is secured by Hanging a shoulder 41 on the collar 38 over the clamping ring 39 e rear end of the hu 31..

and then pressing the assembled armature spaced around and extend inwardly fromthe inside of the ring 42 to position very close to the armature laminations 33. Field coils 46 are mounted on these pole pieces 45 and are connected in series to form the generator Jfield winding.

Screws 47 secure the pole pieces 45 to the rin 43. An accurate alignment is alwa s maintained between the armature and t e field pole pieces, due to the one piece armature bearin housing, consequently, I am enabled to re uce the gap ordmarily necessary between the armature and the field pole pieces and thereby increase the electrical eilicieney of the generator. It may also be seen that any lubricant which may be thrown out through the grease retainer 22 will strike the forward side of the armature and will be thrown to the field ring, the rear side of the armature upon which the commutator is mounted remaining totally free from oil or grease.

A brush carrying ring 48 of insulatin material, such as bakelite or liber, surroun s the commutatorand has a flat face on its rear side extending radially from the said commutator. Three supporting arms 49 secure the brush carrying ring 48 in axial alignment with the'armature by means of screws 50 and .rivets 51. Two of the arms 49 are used for `:supporting the ring only, while the third arm is used for sucpporting the ring and also to form a groun terminal for one of the brushes. The third brush system of current regulation, now almost universally used for small enerators, is employed here.l A regulatin t ird brush 52 is slidably mounted in a brus holder 53 which is secured onto the ring 48 by screws 54. An arcuate slot 55 is provided in the periphery of brush carrying ring 48 to allow the brush holder 53 a limited amount of concentric angular movement whereby the adjustment of the regulating brush 52 is obtained.

The grounded brush 56 is slidably mounted in a brush carrier 57 formed integral with the supporting arm 49. A 'current take-off brush 58 is slidably secured in a brush holder 59 which -is rigidly mounted diametrically opposite the ground brushon the ring 48. Suitable helical coil springs 60 are secured on each of the brush holders to urge the brushes against the commutator sections. A suitable conductor 61 connects the brush 58 with a cut-out relay 62 of the conventional type which is used with the generator.

v From the foregoing it may be seen that I have used a brush carryin ringin which the insulating of the screws, rivets, brackets and the like therefrom, is unnecessary. A pair of diametrically opposed bail receiving recesses 63 are drilled in the outer edge of the field ring 43 adjacent to its rear side to receive the inturned ends, 64 of the bail 65. A clip 66 rotatably secures the center section of the bail 65 to a dished shaped protecting cover 67, which fits down ovei` the outer rear edge of field ring 43 and forms aclosure for the rear end of the generator.` The cover mem'- ber 67 may be readily removed by springing one of the inturned ends 64 of the bail 65 out of its recess 63. The brushes, armature, and

commutato'r may then be inspected or replaced and the generator put in operation before replacing the cover. By being able to adjust the brushes while the generator is in operation, sparkless commutation and the desired char ing rate are easily obtained.

As will e seen I have used six field pole pieces in my improvedgenerator. Although y I am aware that other generators have been made using this same number of field pole pieces, this arrangement has fallen into disuse due to the small diameter of the arma tures used and the heretofore ex ensive construction necessar to lincrease t e armature diameter sufficient y, and still maintainasuitable bearing alignmentfor the armature shaft bearings. Due to the bearings of my improved generatory being in a relatively small sleeve and being on only one end of the armav ture, I am enabled to use 'a large diameter air-'- mature with a greater number of ples, therebseducing the flux density in the oles and a securing an output voltage aving a considerably less variationthan is normall obtained. This is a very desirable result when the current generated is used to charge a storage battery as it lengthens the life of the battery considerably. Among the many advantages arising fro the use of my improved generator, it may be well to point out that I have ,secured a generator, which has bearings permanently -the field pole pieces can readily tained. A further advantage arises because I am enabled to adjust, inspect or install new commutator brushes without disturbing or impairing the armature bearings in any way. I also provide a brush carrier ring from which the brush holders need not be insulated and one with which no insulating washers or the like are used. A further a'dvantage arises because the variation ofr voltage produced with my implroved generator is considerably less than eretofore has been obtained, resulting in the prolongation of the life ofthe battery used therewith.

Some changes may be made inthe arrangement and construction of theviarious parts of my improved device without departing from the spirit of'my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim such changes'as ma reasonably be included with in the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention:

' In a device of the character described, a

sleeve, an annular flange extending radially from said sleeve near one kend thereof, a cylindrical generator shell mounted on the said flange, pole members mounted within said shell, a shaft extended through said sleeve and journalled therein, an armature of bell shape mounted on the rear end of said shaft and extended to position to receive a portion of said sleeve and to co-act with saidpole members, a commutatorl ring mounted on said armature, a brush ring mounted on said shell, a plurality of brush members mounted on said brush ring in position to co-act with said commutator, a nick detachable cover for said shell adapte to receive and enclose said commutator and brush assemblies, and driving means secured to the other end of ,said shaft.

October 26, 1928. HENRY FORD. 

